If a seller is motivated and your offer is the only one that comes in on a home for sale, you may have an easy time getting the home of your dreams. If there are multiple offers on a property, itís a different story.

If thereís competition, itís simple math that your odds in favor of you getting the home are reduced. You need something that will grab the sellerís attention. Writing an offer letter can be just what you need to sway the decision in your direction. Even if your offer is less than what other people have put on the table, an offer letter is a perfect way to get the attention of the seller.

What To Include

You may wonder what you should include in an offer letter. Youíre charming the sellers in a way, but also giving them an opportunity to get to know you. If someone has lived in a home that they have loved for a long time, theyíll be happier knowing the next occupants will be just as happy living on the property.

What Do You Like About The Property?

You should include a lot of positive things involving the property and your ability to care for and maintain it. Tell the seller about the features you most love about the house. You should let the seller know that they hard work they have done over the years has paid off and you appreciate it. Do you like the skylights? Does a remodeled kitchen get your attention? Is the deck a great feature for you to entertain on? Let the seller know any and everything that enticed you to put an offer on the property in the first place.

Share Some Of Your Life

You donít have to get overly personal or mushy, but you should include a bit about yourself and why you chose this property among the many you have seen. Maybe you grew up in the neighborhood. Maybe the home is perfect for your expanding family. Whatever the reason is for you to want this particular house you need to let the seller know.

In addition to personal details, you can include a pre-qualification letter, demonstrating your ability to afford the home. This helps sellers to feel comfortable with your financial background and continued upkeep of the property.

What Not To Include

While your plans for a property may be grandiose in your mind, donít tell a seller what you plan to do with the proeprty in your offer letter. Itís nice that you want to update the kitchen, or re-do the bathrooms. Itís an insult of sorts to the seller so just omit these items. Keep your offer letter positive and brief and you may be well on your way to securing the property of your dreams.

Making an offer on a home youíre hoping to buy is a stressful endeavor. You want your offer to stand apart from others, and if you donít feel comfortable increasing the offer, a personalized letter is a good way to explain your situation and possibly sway the seller in your favor.

Sounds good, right? But when most of us sit down to write an effective offer letter we often come up stumped. What makes your situation different than any other hopeful buyer? How do you find the right tone in your letter? How do you sign off at the end?

There are a number of things to consider when writing an offer letter. So, in this article, weíre going to help you craft an offer letter that will give you the best chance of getting accepted by a home seller.

Begin with them

Before you start talking about yourself and why you love the house, start by addressing the seller by name. Thank them for letting you view their home, and compliment them on the work theyíve done to take care of it.

Why you love their home

A good place to start in your offer letter is to describe exactly what sets their home apart from the others you looked at. Are there defining characteristics of the home that make it perfectly suited to your family? Does it have a large yard that your dog will love to run in or the workshop youíve always wanted to practice your woodworking?Make your letter personal. This is your chance to show that you arenít just concerned with the price of the home.

Share information wisely

Some buyers get excited about all of the changes they would make if their offer was accepted on a home. And while itís okay to plan and be excited for the future, you might not want to share that information with the seller.

Remember that they have many memories and hours of work put into their home, and they might not appreciate you talking about how youíre going to start tearing down walls.

Be concise

Once you get into the flow of writing your letter, itís easy to get carried away. However, sellers will be more receptive to reading and understanding your letter if it is short and to the point. Try not to go over a page, single-spaced.

Once youíve written your letter, review it to see if thereís anything that can be simplified or removed altogether.

Peer review

Before sending your letter, have a family member, friend, or real estate agent look it over. Not only will they be able to catch small grammatical errors, but theyíll also let you know if something youíve written is confusing or would be considered over-sharing.

Presentation

You might be tempted to hit the send button as soon as youíre done with your letter. However, receiving an email can be impersonal--we all get hundreds of emails that we never even open. Rather, print your letter on nice paper, sign it by hand, and consider attaching a family photo if you have one thatís suitable.